My fiance received DS156 in French (he also received DS 230 and DS 156K in English). The instructions from the consulate tells him to bring 2 copies of the DS 156 to the interview. The only DS156 available online is the one to be submitted electronically - no downloadable form.

I emailed the consulate, but VJers are much more reliable. I remember reading here that DS 156 was only going to be used electronically now, but not sure it is applicable in the case of the consulate interview. IS it possible the consulate just forgot to mail the english version? Could he use the french forms but answer in English? Suggestions?

mybackpages,

Fill the electronic DS-156 out online, submit it, and print it. Don't fill it out and submit it without a printer available.

You probably can save the completed DS-156 if you use Acrobat to fill it out rather than Acrobat Reader.

Yodrak

You fill the form out on line and it generates a PDF document filled out wit a special bar code with all the data entered into the form, the PDF is then downloadable for your records, and is printable filled out. The online system keeps no data or transmits no data, just generates the filled out PDF with bar code.

Yes most consulates are now requesting that you use the online form generator, and it is a good idea, all they need to do when you get to the consulate to enter the information on the form into their system is to scan that bar code, this reduces mistakes from entering into the system.

I don't recall submitting a DS-156 electronically unless I am confused. We filled it out online, generated the bar code and printed it. The form was available on the consulate website in both English and Spanish but it indicates that the answers must be in English. This was the form was provided at the consulate interview.

The electronic form on line for the DS-156, generates a form filled out, that can be saved, reader is all that is needed, full adobe is not.

YuAndDan,

Thanks for correcting me on that.

Yodrak

I also filled it in pressed continue and was given a form to print of and send in by mail....Did not see it had to be sent in electronically

Correct, filling out on line does not send it electronically, you need to print it out and mail it or bring it to the consulate, depending on the consulate's policy. The online form generator is used to make that custom bar code, that is all.

Your fiance can use the French language DS-156 and he can complete it by hand (in French, if he so wants). While the online-fillable variant of the previously-mentioned form is compulsory for the non-immigrant visa applicants, the classical DS-156 filled out in pen is acceptable for those seeking K1 visas.

Thanks everyone! VJ comes to the rescue again

I would recommend double-checking this with the consulate since many consulates are no longer accepting handwritten DS-156 forms. Since a K1 is technically a non-immigrant visa, they may require the electronic version with the bar code generated.

Callina,

Maybe still in Romania, and maybe still in France also, but no longer at many consulates. Most consulates want the new DS-156 with the bar code because it saves time and prevents errors by not having to re-enter information from the form into their data systems.

Yodrak